No one can explain the reality of God. Therefore, the only way to know God is by faith. By faith, you can change your situation. If you’re sick, believe God can make you whole. When you put your trust in God, you can achieve the impossible. If you want to increase your faith in God, do these four things: read the Bible, pray, stop worrying, and surround yourself with faith-filled people.
What is Faith?
The Bible says, “Faith is the substance of things hoped for; the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). The word faith originates from the Greek noun Pistis. Faith is an action word. The verb Pistueo means having complete trust or confidence in someone or something; it is having a strong belief in the doctrines of a religion based on spiritual conviction rather than proof.
Another way to describe faith is faith is the quintessence that the things you hope for become so concrete that your hope becomes a reality of those things that are not yet visible. Your faith is the bridge that links you to the spiritual realm and makes God a perceptible reality. When you learn to trust God, your faith is the assurance that God is working your hopes into existence. When you have faith in God, you will develop faith like God. If you want to increase your faith in God, reading the Bible is a great place to start.
There are two levels of faith: little faith and great faith. When you have little faith, you only ask God for little things. But when you have great faith, you will ask God for insurmountable things that seem impossible to others. You will never increase your faith if you only ask God for mediocre things. That’s because we receive from God according to our level of faith. Jesus said, “According to your faith it will be done for you.”
Great Confidence Believes God Can Do Anything
Do you only ask God for help with little things you can do on your own? Why don’t you stop praying prayers like, ‘Oh, God, can you help me pay my house note this month?’ Instead of asking God to help you pay your house note, why don’t you ask Him to pay off your mortgage? If you want to increase your faith, start asking God for big things, for things that seem impossible.
When you have great faith, you believe God can do anything. The Centurion in Matthew chapter 8, had such great confidence. When his servant became ill, he traveled to Capernaum to ask Jesus to heal his servant. Jesus agreed to go to his house and heal his servant, but the Centurion told Jesus that He didn’t need to come to his house, He only needed to speak a word, and his servant would be healed. When Jesus saw his great faith, He said, “Go your way; as you have believed, so let it be done for you.” On the next day, the Centurion returned home and found his servant completely healed.
When you pray, do you approach God like the Centurion approached Jesus? Do you have the confidence to believe He can do what you ask of Him? What’s more, do you believe He will do it for you? Jesus said, “Whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them” (Mark 11:24). When you pray, believe that God has already answered your prayer, and you will receive what you prayed for.
Read the Bible
Reading the Bible gives us glimpses of the nature of God. For example, In the New Testament Book of Colossians, the Bible says that Jesus is the express image of God. So, if you want to know what God is like, open the Bible and read about Jesus. Jesus Himself said when we know Him, we know God (John 14:7). The Bible is filled with incredible stories that will increase your faith. When you read the Bible and see the faith of others, it increases your faith in God.
In the Old Testament Book of Daniel, there is a story of three young men who had incredible faith. King Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, erected a statue of himself and made a decree that everyone should bow down and worship it. If anyone would not worship the image, they would be thrown alive into a fiery furnace. But three young Hebrews, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abad-Nego, refused to bow down and worship the image. They said, “Our God whom we serve can deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand. But even if He does not deliver us, we will not serve your gods or worship your image.” When they would not bow to the king, he had them thrown into the furnace. But because of their confidence in God, God miraculously delivered them from the fire.
Pray with Confidence
Prayer is the way we intercommunicate with God. Prayer is another way you can increase your faith in God. That is why the Bible tells us to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17). But it does not mean we should walk around in a daze, praying non-stop all day long. It means praying consistently about everything, without losing hope. When you pray, God reveals Himself. When you know God, you will trust Him.
In Luke chapter 18, two men went to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee prayed, “God, I thank You that I am not like other men—freeloaders, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all my possessions.” But the tax collector stood by himself, afar off, and would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven. He prayed, “God, be merciful to me a sinner!” The Bible says God heard the tax collector’s prayer and justified him, but disregarded the Pharisee’s prayer.
When you pray, don’t pray like the Pharisee, who prayed an insignificant self-righteous prayer. He told God of the things he did to make himself righteous, but he didn’t tell God who he was, or why he needed Him. If you want to increase your faith, pray like the tax collector. The tax collector didn’t tell God of his self-righteousness. Instead, he acknowledged his sin, and he asked God for mercy.
Don’t Worry
Not only does reading the Bible increase your faith, but it also helps you stay worry-free. When you worry, it is an indication that you exercise little faith. In learning how to increase your faith you must stop worrying. Jesus said in Matthew 6:34, “Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for today is its own trouble.”
Your level of faith speaks loudly in your actions. So rather than worry about tomorrow, think of how you overcame yesterday. People who worry, spend their lives worrying about tomorrow. God already knows what you need. You must believe that God is faithful to supply your needs today. Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow.
Surround Yourself with Faith-filled People
A Jewish ruler named Jairus sought Jesus to heal his twelve-year-old, one and only daughter. When he found Jesus, Jesus agreed to go with him to heal his daughter. While they were on the way to Jairus’ house, Jesus stopped to heal a woman who had been bleeding for twelve years. Jesus was still speaking to the woman when a messenger came from the Jairus’ home with the news that his daughter was dead. “Your daughter is gone,” said the servant to Jairus; “there’s no use troubling the Teacher now.” But Jesus said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid! Just trust me, and your daughter will be fine.”
When they arrived at the house, there was a crowd of people crying and wailing. loudly. Jesus said, “Why are you crying and making this commotion? The girl is not dead, but sleeping.” When the people heard Jesus, they stopped crying and started laughing, But their laughter did not phase Jesus. He put everyone outside except the girl’s father and mother, and His disciples who were with Him. Then He took her by the hand, and said, “Little girl, arise.” Instantly, her life returned, and she jumped up.
Don’t allow the negative words and emotions of others to pollute your faith. Had Jesus allowed the scorners to enter the room, it would have caused Jairus and his wife to doubt God. If you want to increase your faith, surround yourself with faith-filled people, with people who are bold enough to trust God for impossible things because miracles happen when two or more people unite in faith.